


Athos, Porthos, and Aramis

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-07
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2416730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“My father taught me that a man stands up. No way was I gonna let something like that go down.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Athos, Porthos, and Aramis

**Author's Note:**

> I took it so far back, I can't even believe it. This story was inspired by a line in my **Grove** universe story, _How Do You Solve a Problem_ _Like_   _Mark Gregory_ , in which Derek reminds Hotch how they met. This is probably one of my favorite stories I've ever written. I think though they are in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s in canon, I captured just the essence I wanted to for preteens without losing who they really are.

Barton-Cosgrove International Day School was Grades 7-12 and that year Hotch spent alone in 6th grade was miserable. His mother encouraged him to find new friends but he was still shy. He preferred to immerse himself in books and spend weekends palling around with Jason. Hotch was overjoyed they were together again and would be through high school. The Grove was a big, intimidating place but he had already met a few nice people in class. He did not think they would be lifelong friends but they would make the days go faster. The curriculum there was finally a challenge for Hotch…he looked forward to aiming for straight As.

 

Lunch was over, Jason headed in one direction and Hotch in another to return to class. He was rustling through his backpack, head down, walking across the grassy quad when he ran into something. He stumbled back, looking at two boys. One was broad and blondish, the other sinewy with raven hair. They did not look like the friendly type but Hotch smiled anyway.

 

“Excuse me, I'm sorry. I should've been looking where I was going.” He zipped his backpack and put it on.

 

“Yes, you should have been.” The blonde calmly replied.

 

“Sorry again. Well…”

 

Hotch tried to walk on but the two boys blocked his way.

 

“Actually, I really don’t like being bumped.”

 

“I apologized.” Hotch’s voice went deeper.

 

“You hear that Raphael, he said ‘I apologized’. I guess that means he was raised right.”

 

“As a matter of fact I was.”

 

Hotch puffed out his chest a little. He had barely been there five hours and found a bully's crosshairs. Damn, this was not good. He would take it like a man…if not he would be a target all through high school. He was not very big or muscular; his father always called him a string bean. 

 

He was quick though, and he would grow into the rest…someday. One thing Hotch wouldn’t be was victimized, even if they were bigger than he was. The blond kid snapped his fingers twice and suddenly there were four more boys, making a loose circle. Holy hell, why were they so big and he wasn’t.

 

“What's your name, boy?” Raphael asked with a Southern drawl. He was sneering and snickering at the same time.

 

“Its not boy.”

 

One of the other boys shoved him but the blonde, apparently the leader, put a stop to it.

 

“What is your name?” he asked again. His voice was soft, almost soothing. Surely, that was an illusion.

 

“Aaron Hotchner.” Hotch replied.

 

“I'm Frank; welcome to The Grove.”

 

With that, he punched Hotch hard in the stomach. Hotch gasped and doubled over.

 

“Beat the hell out of him.” Frank said, stepping back as Hotch tried to protect himself from the onslaught of hands and feet.

 

There was no way to fight back; vital organs had to stay covered. He was also not going to cry. He thought about it, the third time someone kicked him. Getting his ass kicked was survivable; crying in junior high was punishable by death.

 

“Hey, what the hell are you doing? Get off that kid!”

 

Hotch felt someone jump into the circle with him. He was a black kid, arms and legs of steel though not much bigger than Hotch. He took one of the bullies out almost immediately. Hotch was able to scramble to his feet and throw a few punches. Two against four was a possibility at least.

 

“I'm Derek.” The kid said, throwing out a kick.

 

“Aaron.”

 

“Well Aaron, welcome to hell.”

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

“Hotch? You OK?”

 

Suddenly Jason was there too. Take that bullies…it was three on four now. It became three on three when Gideon’s left hook sent one of them crumbling. It always amazed Hotch to see Gideon throw punches. He knew his best friend hated violence.  _Violence begets_ _violence_ , Nora Gideon always said. Jason told him if men like Gandhi and Dr. King could change the world without raising a hand in anger then that was all the proof he needed. Still, Hotch saw him in a few schoolyard scuffles over the years. He always defended smaller kids. That was the kind of kid Jason was. Two teachers soon arrived to break up the melee.

 

“They started it!” Raphael exclaimed.

 

“No way!” Derek shouted. “Those four kids jumped Aaron!” he pointed to Hotch.

 

“Well son, is that so?” the teacher demanded in a gruff tone.

 

“Yes sir. I bumped into him.” Hotch pointed to Frank.

 

“I should have known.” Jason muttered, rolling his eyes.

 

“I can certainly say that he bumped me.” Frank replied, crossing his arms. “I am a bit fuzzy on how the rest transpired.”

 

“Yeah I bet.” Derek said.

 

“Tell it to the Vice-Principal. All of you hustle…now!”

 

***

 

“We moved from Chicago when I as ten. My sister Sarah just started high school here. She got an academic scholarship so my mom could afford to pay for me.”

 

“Is Chicago a nice place?” Hotch asked.

 

“Yeah. My whole family is still there. I miss it.”

 

“Why did you move?” Gideon asked.

 

“Mom wanted a fresh start. My dad passed away and she needed something different.”

 

The boys nodded and stopped talking for a while.

 

“I am so sorry I got you guys into this.” Hotch whispered.

 

“Forget it man.” Derek waved it off. “My father taught me that a man stands up. No way was I gonna let something like that go down. There were five of them.”

 

“Frank is a sociopath.” Jason told them. “He doesn't care who he hurts and the others do what he tells them without question. All three of us probably have targets on out backs now.”

 

“I'm not scared of them.” Hotch said. “I just got here…I won't spend the rest of the year intimidated.”

 

“Me neither.” Derek said. “Especially by those freaks. We’ll stick together; let’s see them try it then.”

 

“Yeah,” Gideon nodded. “Sticking together is a really good idea.”

 

“I have a bunch of them.” Derek smiled.

 

“Whose class are you in?” Hotch asked.

  
”Dr. Turner’s.”

 

“I'm in Mrs. Norris’. At least we have lunch at the same time, Jason too. I like sticking together.”

 

***

 

The boys walked out into the late afternoon September sunshine. The trusty, rusty, Gideon family Volvo station wagon sat in the parking lot waiting.

 

“Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Derek waved.

 

“Where ya headed, Morgan?” Gideon asked.

 

“I gotta get the shuttle to the train station.”

 

“Where do you live?”

 

“Buena Vista.”

 

“For real?” Hotch’s hazel eyes widened. “That’s a long ride.”

 

“I don’t mind it.”

 

“My dad can drop you off.” Jason said. “C'mon.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah. C'mon.”

 

Shrugging, Derek followed the boys to the Volvo. Jason opened the front passenger door and smiled.

 

“Dad, can we drop off Derek?  He lives in Buena Vista and was going to take the train.”

 

“No problem. Jump in fellas.”

 

“Hey, Dr. Gideon.” Hotch climbed in.

 

“Hey Aaron. How are you, Derek?”

 

“Fine sir. You're a doctor?”

 

“Not a real one, just a book doctor.” Daniel Gideon smiled, pushing his glasses back on his nose.

 

“Don’t listen to him, Derek. My dad is the best. He teaches psychology at American University…one day he will be chair. He has a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley; it’s consistently one of the top-ranked schools in the nation.”

 

“That’s awesome.” Derek smiled.

 

“My son is quite modest, isn’t he?” he tousled Jason’s thick curls. “How about some music, boys? I'm sure you need to come down from today’s insanity.” Dr. Gideon turned on the radio and the voice of Freddie Mercury came out of the speakers.

 

All three boys started bopping, singing along to _Another One Bites the Dust_.

 

“Derek?”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Do you think your mom would mind if we swung by McDonald’s?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Good.” he smiled and then looked at his son. “Don’t tell your mother.”

 

“My lips are sealed.”

 

They got cheeseburgers and fries with chocolate milkshakes. While they stuffed their faces, they kept singing. Kenny Loggins replaced Queen, then Van Halen, and Steve Perry. They were Dancing in the Dark when the Volvo pulled up to the Morgan house. Fran Morgan came down the stairs.

 

“That’s your mom?” Hotch asked.

 

“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.” He climbed out of the car. “Hey mama.”

 

“In the house.” she said, gesturing with her head.

 

Derek said goodnight as Dr. Gideon got out of the car.

 

“Daniel Gideon,” he extended his hand. “My son Jason is friends with Derek.”

 

“Fran Morgan. Thank you Mr. Gideon, I appreciate you giving Derek a lift home.”

 

“I appreciate what he did as well. I hope you don’t mind but I took the boys to McDonald’s.”

 

“That’s fine.” She smiled.

 

“Good.” he returned the smile, lowering his voice. “Jason doesn’t have a lot of friends, he’s a quiet kid. Derek is a welcome addition.”

 

“Thank you. Drive safely and have a nice evening.”

 

“You too.”

 

Hotch looked out the window as they pulled off. It was starting to drizzle.

 

“I hope he doesn’t get in too much trouble.”

 

“Me too.” Jason replied. “What he did took guts. Not many people stand up to Frank.”

 

“He didn’t even know me a few hours ago. I hope my father is in that kind of generous mood.”

 

Jason glanced back at him but said nothing. He knew Alex Hotchner had a tricky temper. Sometimes he took things out on his son. The abuse was mostly verbal but there were a few times when Hotch showed him the scars. Jason hoped he was in a good mood as well. The music continued but the mood in the car was more subdued.

 

“Derek seemed like a good kid.” Dr. Gideon said.

 

“He is,” Hotch replied, his mood lifting some. “I like him.”

 

“We’re going to stick together.” Jason added.

 

“That sounds like a good plan.”

 

Hotch appreciated that DC traffic was horrible in inclement weather. The rain fell at a steady pace when the Volvo got to his front door.

 

“Here we are, Aaron.”

 

“Thanks for the food, and the ride Dr. Gideon.”

 

“Anytime. Feel better, alright?”

 

“I hope so, sir. Goodnight, Jason.”

 

“Call me.”

 

Hotch nodded, getting out of the car. Jason watched him walk slowly up the driveway, undaunted by the rain. He walked up the stairs, looking back at the happy father and son before disappearing into the house.

 

“Is he alright?” Daniel asked.

 

“I’ll find out when he calls me later…if he calls me.”

 

“Those boys attacked him today, on his first day of school. He was only defending himself. I think his parents know that. Your mother talked to his mother after it happened.”

 

“Sometimes his dad can unleash his temper and think about consequences later.” Jason replied.

 

Daniel looked at his son but he just focused on the windshield wipers. He spoke to his father without words. ‘ _Please don’t ask. I will never betray Hotch’s trust but I can never lie to you_ ’.

 

“What you and Derek did today was commendable, Jace. You know that I don’t condone violence but standing up for yourself and your friends when attacked is so important.”

 

“I know dad…you taught me that.”

 

“Good. I talked your mother down too.”

 

“Thanks.” Jason managed a smile.

 

“Anytime. Don’t worry about Aaron; I'm sure he will be alright. You’ll be there for him if he’s not.”

 

“I will.”

 

Jason nodded, upset that he could not stand up for his best friend all the time. Hotch was strong but he had dealt with enough today. It just needed to be over. Who knew what tomorrow would bring, except another detention, but at least they were in it together. It was the three of them now.

 

***

 

 

                                                                                                           


End file.
